Will military action stop violence in eastern DR Congo?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo president declares a ‘state of siege’ in two provinces to fight armed groups.
For years, armed groups have instilled fear in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Hundreds have been killed, and millions have been displaced in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces. President Felix Tshisekedi has instructed the army to take charge of the two regions for a month.
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He has declared a “state of siege” for the first time, giving soldiers broad powers to conduct searches, make arrests and ban public gatherings.
Although some welcome the intervention, some rights groups are worried the military will abuse its powers.
So, will this be enough to stop the violence?
Presenter: Imran Khan
Guests:
Niamh Murnaghan – DRC country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council
Patrick Hajayandi – Senior project leader at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation
Kambale Musavuli – Researcher at the Center for Research on the Congo-Kinshasa